Babacan Gets The Bounce

[Spezzatura]

A long to-do list awaits diplomacy’s new chief

ANKARA - With a Cabinet reshuffle whose new headline talent is "Strategic Depth" with author Ahmet Davutoğlu for foreign minister, Prime Minister Erdoğan signals a search for an expanded role for Turkey in the wider region. Yet a long list of challenges awaits Davutoğlu abroad and at home

Comfortable as a behind-the-scenes figure of Turkish foreign policy, Ahmet Davutoğlu will surely need some time to adapt to his new position, which will require a lot of protocol, meeting with press and handling practical problems his ministry faces.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s chief foreign policy adviser, Professor Davutoğlu, was appointed foreign minister late Friday as part of a large Cabinet reshuffle. Despite pressure by Erdoğan, Davutoğlu had always veered away from work in Parliament or the Cabinet as he wanted to return to academia. Author of "Strategic Depth," Davutoğlu was known as the architect of Turkey’s current foreign policy, aiming at making Turkey "a regional and global actor."

Davutoğlu to both Gül and Erdoğan

When Abdullah Gül was elected president in 2002, Davutoğlu became the chief adviser of the Prime Ministry. He has maintained his post during Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s term, thus known for his close ties with both leaders.

He has represented Turkey in many international platforms and took active roles during the European Union talks, Cyprus negotiations and Iraq war. Davutoğlu, who accompanied Gül on his historic visit to Yerevan in September, was also in the forefront of a recent government initiative to normalize relations with Armenia.

Davutoğlu came under the spotlight after his secret meeting with Hamas leader Halid Meşal in the winter of 2006. Since then he has gained a reputation for being the upper hand in shaping Turkey’s foreign policy, and is often depicted as the "Shadow Man" or the "Kissenger of Turkish diplomacy" by experts.

"Turkey is no longer a country that only reacts to crises, but notices the crises before they emerge and intervenes in the crises effectively and gives shape to the order of its surrounding region," Davutoğlu told reporters Saturday during the handover ceremony.

With a stronger foreign policy vision toward the Middle East, Balkans and Caucasus, Turkey will surely expand its role in this mentioned geography, he said.

He underlined that the country’s fundamental foreign policy principle of Western orientation will remain the same and that Turkey will continue its efforts to become a part of the EU.

His appointment has also been welcomed by many diplomats of the Foreign Ministry. "His appointment is a good one. He has a strategic view and is a theoretician.

He knows the presidency, prime ministry and foreign ministry very well and he has direct access to all," a senior Turkish diplomat told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review over the weekend. "But there will also be duties he will not like very much, such as appointments in the ministry and responsibilities concerning the protocol."

The diplomat pointed out that Davutoğlu will need to first deal with the domestic problems of the ministry, inherited by his predecessor, to be able to deal with the heavy load of the foreign policy.

Appointments to the critical positions and embassies stand at the top of his to-do list. As the tenures of Gürcan Türkoğlu, the president’s foreign policy adviser, and Ali Yakıtal, the prime minister’s adviser are expiring, Davutoğlu should consider who to appoint to these important seats. Furthermore, there are three important general directories, namely Africa and the Caucasus desks and the intelligence and security desk, in the ministry that await an appointment. As part of appointments, Davutoğlu will have to find suitable names to appoint as ambassadors to Oman, Estonia and Switzerland.

That is to be coupled with a new general-secretary for the EU as Oğuz Demiralp has also concluded his term.

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[Sir Christopher]

Professor Ahmet Davutoğlu is often depicted as the "Shadow Man" or the "Kissenger of Turkish diplomacy" by experts.

Я хочу дополнить это фото добавив срезанную часть. Так более красиво, фон, задний план, контраст. Vor AVEli tpavorich lini vorosh habergatc im tcanotneri xamar.

Количество интересных дядяк в Турецком Правительстве растет, это в продолжение к Таши Туши: http://forum.hayastan.com/index.php?s=&amp...st&p=873583

Davut, это же Дауд, т.е. Давид. От сказки про Али Баба (джана) и разбойники с Налбандяна переходим к дугой сказке.

Edited May 4, 2009 by Sir Christopher

[Spezzatura]

Foreign Minister Davutoğlu and Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Azimov shake hands before their meeting in Ankara.

Davutoğlu to be sworn in before Parliament today

Turkey's new Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu will be sworn in before Parliament today, days after taking over the post from his predecessor Ali Babacan.

Davutoğlu, a respected scholar and architect of the policy of greater focus on the Middle East, is the first person to be appointed to the Cabinet from outside Parliament. He will take the oath at the General Assembly today.

Davutoğlu's appointment was part of an expected Cabinet reshuffle after the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) suffered its worst election results since it took power in 2002, when voters punished it in the March municipal polls.

Prime Minister Erdoğan keeps a tight grip on most areas of government but on foreign policy has long given a strong say to Davutoğlu, his chief foreign policy adviser for the last seven years. Analysts say the concern will be whether Davutoğlu, who has expanded foreign policy beyond Turkey's traditional Western-oriented focus, will have an appetite to accelerate European Union membership talks.

"It is important that Davutoğlu doesn't drop the EU ball. A key reason the Middle East looks to Turkey is the country's prospect of membership, the same goes for investors," Hugh Pope, an analyst for the International Crisis Group, told Reuters.

But the Middle East is also a priority for major powers and given that the EU is facing its own economic woes, with difficulty in integrating new members, analysts say Turkey is playing smart. "I don't know who they [Turkey] can engage with in Europe so to criticize them for reorienting themselves from Europe is ridiculous," a former US diplomat was quoted as saying by Reuters.

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